Pastries in Paradise

Whenever the days turn cooler everyone in the house begins craving warm drinks, rich spices, and anything apple. Today was one of those days where it was cool but not freezing, reminding us of a brisk fall day more than chilly winter. Unfortunately, I did not have any apples on hand to make a pie but I did have some dried apples. Dried apples are perfect for apple bars because they do not make the bar too soggy like a fresh apple would. Problem is I love the flavor fresh apples bring to any baked good. To amp up the flavor of the dried apples I turned to a favorite of mine that I always use in my apple turnovers, apple butter. I had some apple butter I had made in the fall from fresh apples still in the refrigerator so I paired that with the dried apples to rehydrate them with the flavors of their fresh counterpart.

I love apple cobbler but it is something you need to sit down and eat from a bowl. I love these bars because it makes apple cobbler portable for our always on the go family. The following recipe yields approximately 24 bars. You can use homemade fresh breadcrumbs or plain store bought breadcrumbs without any noticeable difference. Also make sure you toast the walnuts before you add them into the bars. The toasting helps bring out the nutty flavor and enrich the bars overall.

Apple Cobbler Bars

Crumb Topping Ingredients:

½ cup Bread Crumbs

½ cup Walnuts; toasted & chopped

½ cup Light Brown Sugar; packed

¼ cup All-Purpose Flour

8 tbsp. (1 stick) Unsalted Butter; chilled, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Cookie Ingredients:

3 cups All-Purpose Flour

16 tbsp. (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter; softened

2/3 cup Light Brown Sugar; packed

2 Eggs

½ cup Apple Butter

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

½ cup Walnuts; toasted & chopped

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 cup Dried Apples, chopped

Formula:

Heat oven to 350°. Line a 13×9 inch pan with foil. Be sure to allow excess foil to hang over the sides of the pan to allow an easier lift. Grease the pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

To prepare bar base: In a large bowl combine the flour and baking powder. With a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, apple butter, and vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture. Continue to mix until just combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts by hand.

Press the dough into the prepared pan. Scatter the apple slices over the dough. Sprinkle with the crumb topping and bake until the bars are deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the bars completely on a wire rack, at least one hour. Once cooled, use the excess foil to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut the bars into squares and serve. Bars can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for about 3 days.